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The Quest for Human Nature Summary

The Quest for Human Nature: What Philosophy and Science Have Learned by Marco J. Nathan (Department of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of Denver)

Over the last fifty years, scholars in biology, psychology, anthropology, and cognate fields have substantially enriched traditional philosophical theories about who we are and where we come from. The assumption of a shared human nature lies at the core of some of the most pressing socio-political issues of our time. From race to sex and gender, from medical therapy to disability, from biotechnological enhancement to transhumanism, all these timely debates presuppose a robust notion of human nature. Nevertheless, the riddle of human nature remains frustratingly elusive. Why? Marco J. Nathan here provides an accessible, detailed, and up-to-date overview of cutting-edge empirical research on human nature, including evolutionary psychology, critiques of essentialism, innateness, and genetic determinism, addressing the question of why these fields have failed to provide a full-blown theory of human nature. Nathan's answer is that our nature is not the kind of notion that is susceptible to explanation. Human nature rather plays a crucial role as an epistemological indicator, a pivotal concept that sets out the agenda for much social, political, and normative discourse. Nevertheless, science cannot adequately grasp it without dissolving it in the process.

About Marco J. Nathan (Department of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of Denver)

Marco J. Nathan is Professor and Chair in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Denver. Nathan's research focuses on the philosophy of science, with particular emphasis on biology, neuroscience, cognitive psychology, and economics. He is the author of Black Boxes (OUP, 2021), as well as numerous articles, chapters, and edited volumes in philosophical and scientific venues.

Table of Contents

Preface 1. What's at Stake? 2. A Science of Human Nature? 3. Is There a Human Nature? 4. What Makes a Trait Innate? 5. Are We Genetically Determined? 6. Oppression or Emancipation Part (i): Human Races 7. Oppression or Emancipation Part (ii): Gender 8. Normality: Facts or Politics? 9. Should We Be Concerned About Enhancing Our Nature? 10. Can Science Explain Human Nature? Bibliography

Additional information

NGR9780197699256
9780197699256
0197699251
The Quest for Human Nature: What Philosophy and Science Have Learned by Marco J. Nathan (Department of Philosophy, Department of Philosophy, University of Denver)
New
Paperback
Oxford University Press Inc
2024-06-19
376
N/A
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